Chapter 2 I sat in the study , that voice echoing in my head . ] I remembered visiting the winery with Jasper and never meeting anyone named Lila . My hands were shaking as I pulled up my best friend , Emma's chat . ] [ Girl , need you to dig up everything on Sunset Winery and Jasper.1 ] My heart was pounding as I kept typing . [ All of Jasper's financial records and recent whereabouts . I need to know everything . ] ] Tears were welling up , but I refused to let them fall , forcing myself to stay rational [ I think Jasper's cheating . ] Just as I hit send , I heard Jasper's voice behind me . ] " Babe . " He walked over , looking genuinely apologetic " Something came up with a project at work . " His expression was conflicted . " I know I promised we'd spend the evening together , but they really need me to handle this crisis . I hate to bail , but I have to go sort this out . " ] He ran his hand over my hair . " TU be back as soon as I can . " His phone was in his other hand , screen lit up , and I could see he was in the middle of typing a message . ] ] I grabbed his hand and asked , " Can't you skip it ? ' ] Normally , Jasper would've picked up on the desperation in my voice , would've noticed the vulnerability in my eyes and my phone screen still glowing with that damning conversation But not tonight . He was completely focused on leaving and whatever he was texting , just barely managing to be patient with me . [ ] " I'll be super quick Feeling the tugging force from my hand , his tone carried a hint of anxiety : " Come on babe , you're always so understanding . Don't make thus harder than it needs to be . " I felt like a deflated balloon , just sitting there watching Jasper rush out without even saying a proper goodbye . ] The tears finally started falling , and I realized that maybe there really was no such was no such thing as a faithful man . Emma called with the intel : " Sunset has a project that Jasper personally funded and promoted . That's sketchy as hell right off the bat . " She sent me the files . " Everyone at Sunset's talking about how Jasper's throwing money around to promote some chick , and nobody dares mess with her because of him . " Her voice went cold . " Word is Sunset's throwing a celebration party at the Meridian Hotel . " " Jasper's not there , right ? " ] That last bit of hope I'd been clinging to shattered completely . I stared at the dinner Jasper had prepared - perfectly peeled shrimp , my favorite soup , roses on the side . ] ] Then I remembered what he'd said earlier : " Babe ! Don't tell me you forgot - today's our anniversary . " Our wedding anniversary …. He knew clearly- But he still chose someone else . [ ] He still left me here alone , even after I'd begged him not to go . even after I'd tried to make him stay . He'd still walked toward whoever had a stronger hold on his heart . " I'm going to the Meridian , " I told Emma . " Even if this marriage is over , I need to see what kind of woman I lost to . " I'd actually wondered what this girl named Lila was like- Sunny , lively , young . I'd even imagined what she looked like … until this very moment when I actually saw her sitting next to Jasper . [ ] She was so … ordinary . Her looks were so plain that I wouldn't recognize her if we met again - no class whatsoever , dressed ordinarily , even her hair was carelessly tied up , wearing no makeup at all , yet there she was clinging to Jasper's arm and laughing as she called hun : ] " Babe : " | " They're trying to make me drink . " ] She was totally playing up the helpless act , pointing at the table full of executives " I told them my babe's like a krught in shining armor who'd protect me , but they didn't believe me . They want you to come sei them straight " Everyone was laughing and sucking up : " Gotta hand it to Lila - when she finally picks a guy , she goes for the jackpot . "